Best Man Duties

As the best man at a wedding, you’re tasked with several crucial responsibilities that, if not prepared for, could derail you and rank you as a terrible best man – a title no one wants.

It’s a huge deal and it’s something that may only happen once in your life, so you better not screw it up!

Here’s a few tips to follow as you begin one of the most fun challenges you’ll ever have!

The Speech

This isn’t the most important aspect of being a best man, but it’s the very first thing every guy thinks about when asked to participate. Even for those with outgoing personalities and great public speaking skills, it can be nerve racking. With all the wild and probably dangerous times you’ve had with the groom either in high school or college, you have to be wary of your audience. Great grandma Jean doesn’t need to hear the crazy party stories about how her grandson once banged back six shots in a row before making out with a stripper at the club.

Keep it light and playful. Tell a funny story, or go through the history of how you became friends with the groom and the bride. Oh, and always end on a more serious, heartfelt note of how perfect the two are for each other (because they are,) and wish them luck. It’s a real win-win because that will get the attention of those horny bridesmaids.

Plan the Bachelor Party

Okay, this is what you would consider the most important part of your role as best man. The bachelor party! This is tricky because it’s easy to want to plan the most out of control weekend of the groom’s life, but you also need to make sure you’re not crossing any lines. Yeah, the BRIDE’S lines. In the end, know that your friend is a grown man and he can make his own decisions, but always keep an eye on him and make sure he’s not getting himself into trouble.

Calm the Dude Down

It’s perfectly natural for the groom to start getting nervous as the big day approaches. It’s your job to ensure that he’s relaxed and doesn’t get cold feet. If you overreact, he will overreact, so provide a calming presence and remind him that he’s making the best decision of his life.

Protect the Ring

This one is self-explanatory. You can mess up on everything else, but you HAVE to keep the rings safe before the ceremony. Oh, and at the wedding, don’t do the whole “acting like you lost it then pull the ring out” routine. It’s tacky and not funny.

If you have the honor of being someone’s best man, don’t take it lightly. It will be great for you to spend some one-on-one time with your best friend before he enters the world of marriage, and you only see him on Super Bowl Sunday.